L'Ange De Morte
by Lamby
Summary: Apocalypse is forming his dreaded Horsemen, and the XMen get caught up in it. Blaze has to make the hardest decision of her life. AU to X3
1. 01

**Disclaimer:** I only own Blaze; Ilehana Xavier is used with express permission of Corrinth; I do not own and am making no profit from the X-Men characters or their world.

**A/N:** My take on a classic X-Men story, re-set using my OC Blaze and fitting into the timeline that Corrinth and I share for our X-Men stories. Its set not too long after Darkest Hearts, so about three or four years after X2. I promise this wont be a long-winded effort, at least not compared to other stories I have written! Please read and review, and let me know what you think?

**L'ange de morte 1**

The girl had never run so fast in her life as she ran now, breath panting, past some woman pushing a pram, past the convenience store where a man exclaimed as she cut across his path back to his car. She hadn't meant to do it! She didn't want to hurt anyone! But the teenage boys from her school didn't care about that, jocks who hated everyone who wasn't exactly like them, wasn't normal, especially mutants………

As the teenagers rounded the corner they could just about make out their quarry running down an alleyway. Shouting their hatred, they were so intent on their target they didn't see the fireball until it was too late. It hit the three of them side-on, not burning, but pushing them over with sheer unbridled energy until they lay sprawled in the filthy gutter. Not knowing where the attack had come from, the girl they were chasing had only fused a computer, nothing as scary as a spontaneous fireball right in the middle of an L.A. street, they got to their hands and knees and scampered away, afraid.

The redhead on the sidewalk put her red-hot hands on her hips and pouted. Then with a sigh as she let the teenagers leave she turned back to the pram she had been pushing. The tiny newborn inside, barely three months old, cooed and wriggled as the red-haired woman bent down to rearrange the babe's jacket.

"I have no idea where that came from……… I guess maybe it's not so easy to stop being an X-Man after all." Blaze sighed, letting her daughter coil her tiny hand around her finger. "No doubt your Dad'd have a fit if he knew I'd just put you in danger, at least he would if he could………"

"Perhaps the child's father would have a point?" A strange man's voice asked over Blaze's shoulder. She started to turn, hands foremost as she readied her mutant power to defend herself. The blond-haired, blue-eyed man who addressed her held up his own hands, but in an appeasing gesture. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you. It was a brave thing you did for that girl. But perhaps it was a fight you should have left to someone with something less precious to lose? You are not the only one who hates to see discrimination against mutants."

"I………"

"Look, pushing that pram seems like hard work. Can I maybe offer you both a lift? As an apology for scaring you, and for not coming to the rescue quickly enough?"

"Do I at least get to know your name first?" Blaze enquired coyly, dropping her offensive stance a little as the strange man smiled down at her and her daughter. "I don't like to accept lifts off strange men without knowing at least that about them first?"

"Do you often get offered lifts by strange men my friend?" The blond man asked laughing, pointing the way to where his large car sat by the shop. Blaze smiled too, trusting she was a good judge of character as she clicked the brake off the pram. "Warren Worthington………"

"The billionaire?" Blaze exclaimed as she took this so, so normal looking man's hand in a firm but fair grip. "What are you doing on this side of town?"

"Shopping, actually." He nodded to where his brown paper bags lay abandoned on the sidewalk. "So, um, do you have a name at all my friend? Its just I don't often let strange attractive women into my car without knowing at least that about them first………"

"My name………" Blaze ignored his flattery of her as she debated which identity to give Worthington. Should she trust him with her birth-name or her mutant alias? She kicked the pram to set it folding as she hugged baby Jessica to herself, knowing protecting her daughter was her first priority. "………Is Gemma Anderson. And this is Jessica, my daughter."

"Very pleased to meet you Gemma, Jessica." Warren gave a little comic bow as he opened the car door for the mother and child. "Your partner is a very lucky man to have such a beautiful family."

"Partner?" Blaze snorted her laughter to hide her insecurity. "I'm afraid it's just the two of us, Warren."

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just………" He was obviously embarrassed as he climbed into the driver's seat and fumbled for the ignition.

"I was talking about Jess' Dad, when you overheard me before." Blaze finished for him, smiling gently. "It okay, really. We were……… friends a long time. But we don't see him anymore. He doesn't know anything about Jessica, and that's the way I want it to stay."

Warren met Blaze's eyes briefly before starting the engine. Baby Jessica gurgled happily as the expensive car slid away from the curb, and her mother's new friend asked where he could drop them off………

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"And it is with great pleasure tonight I welcome the eminent businessman Warren Worthington, and his lovely lady friend of course." There was knowing laughter around the room full of mature men in matching grey suits and their equally mature wives all dressed in matching little black dresses ten years out of style. On the top table, Blaze wriggled uncomfortably. She didn't have a good track record with posh parties. But Warren placed a gentle hand on her arm, rolling back his shoulders as he stood to address the assembled businessmen. Blaze knew that suit he wore hid a secret that would soon change these men and women's mind about their guest speaker. Archangel.

Archangel or not, whatever he was talking about was boring even to one a sharp witted as the fire elemental. Her mind wandered. Perhaps if it hadn't what happened next would have been prevented. But as Blaze glanced at her watch, wondering if Jessica was sleeping okay, if the babysitter had any problems, if her mobile was working, a stranger stood up and began walking determinedly towards the platform on which Warren stood alone.

"Can I help you?" Warren stopped his speech to address the stranger who was looking up at him with such cold, evil eyes. The cruelness of those eyes took Archangel's tongue away, made him freeze in near terror. Blaze snapped back to reality as the strange man spoke in a voice deeper than the ages.

"Come my horseman, my angel of death, and serve the mighty Apocalypse!" The man raised a hand, and purple energy raced towards Warren, as he stood frozen on the pedestal. The minute the light hit the mutant billionaire, Warren's eyes clouded over. He shuddered, muscles going into spasm. Blaze pushed back her chair, sending it falling over, starting to run towards her friend. Warren's expensive suit ripped along the seams on shoulders and spine, great white wings expanding in endless glory in the light of the room. The man who called himself Apocalypse laughed coldly and was gone. Women and men both screamed as Warren took off after the stranger.

A wall of thick red fire blocked his way. Blaze stood, hands extended, calling his name. But he didn't know her anymore. He didn't know who he was. Turning, barrel-rolling midair he spun and flew straight at Blaze, great wings beating hard. She stared him down, all the time calling out his name, trying to get him to remember. At the last possible moment she ducked, letting the winged mutant fly over her, crash through the panoramic window behind the high table and disappear………


	2. 02

**Disclaimer:** I only own Blaze; Ilehana Xavier is used with express permission of Corrinth; I do not own and am making no profit from the X-Men characters or their world.

**A/N:** Please read and review!

L'ange de morte 2 

The X-Man named Gambit stalked his quarry with the stealth of a cat. This night had been weeks in the making. And now as the dawn light crept over the horizon and the next town on his prey's hit list was still asleep, everything was ready. Nobody else would suffer at the hands of this madman, l'ange de morte………

The dark form of the mutant skimmed low over the trees above Gambit's position. The man didn't even know Remy was there, waiting for a clean shot as his quarry hovered over the ridge, sentimental as always, waiting for the dawn to begin his acts of terror. In his hand, Gambit filled a single playing card with explosive energy via his unique mutant ability. He had his orders, the angel of death had to die.

He loosed the card, watching as it sped glowing towards the winged mutant. But suddenly it was hit off target, a fireball sending it harmlessly into a nearby tree. The flying mutant didn't even look around, soaring off over the town, leaving Gambit fuming with anger. Who dared stop him doing his job?

He stormed forward, all thoughts of concealment gone, another card ready in his hand to blast the interfering scum who………

Blaze stood on top of a small ridge, fireball dancing in her palm, endless red curls caught in the shimmering morning breeze. Her face was emotionless as the father of her child stalked into view, her old friend, now facing her as armed as she was.

"Blaze! Merde, Chere! What you doin' here?" He yelled, furious. "You make me miss? I got orders from Xavier!"

"Does it look like I care, Remy?" She fumed back, not shouting but every bit as angry. "You don't know what you are doing! I wont let you kill that man."

"You know somethin' Gambit don't, but you take three weeks to get to me to let me know? Try tellin' all those people that madman's scared outta their homes you wont let Gambit take him out!"

Blaze stormed down the slope, absorbing her fireball into herself and slamming a fist hard into Remy's wrist to make him drop the card. She could never tell him what had taken so long to get her here, the endless forms and interviews, the pain of having to give up the person she loved most in the world; having their daughter adopted so she could do what she had to do and come home to the X-Men. It was the only chance she had of saving Warren, stopping Apocalypse. But it didn't mean she was happy about it.

"That man's name is Warren Worthington, and he's a friend of mine!" She met and held Remy's eyes, the fire there almost painful for him to look at. "He would never in a million years harm another soul. He's kept his mutation a secret, controlled it by himself all his life. Before a man called Apocalypse got involved, there were very few people who knew anything about Archangel!"

"You datin' that madman or somethin' Laura, seein' as you knows so much about him?" There was spite in Gambit's voice she was too familiar with. This wasn't exactly the welcome back she had been expecting, but why should any of this be easy?

"Not that it's an ounce of your business, but yeah!" She snapped. "Don't you think I know mind control when I see it Gambit? Or are you really as dense as that?" She referred to the spell she had spent with three other young women at the beck and call of a mutant with powers of persuasion named Gareth King. Mind control then had only been broken by Gambit, through their friendship and a mysterious mind-bond now too long broken. They faced off for a few moments more, both still so angry, before Gambit turned away. What was it that had changed between them?

"Alright, little one……... We play this your way, for now. You gotta plan?"

"Only to get him to the Professor. With any luck, Xavier should be able to restore Warren back to how he was, get rid of Apocalypse's control………" Blaze watched Gambit's broad shoulders as she spoke, noting how tense he was. This argument would run and run she knew. He wouldn't forgive her easily for leaving in the first place, and even less for not keeping in touch, and now she had the nerve to show up out of the blue? Still, part of her at least was very glad to see her old friend. She reached out hesitantly to touch his trench coat, but he turned as she did so and pushed her reaching hand away.

"Non, Chere." He muttered, "We work t'ings out another time. We got work to do."

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They went into the town even as the first terrified screams came racing through the morning air. They had to let them pass, heading instead to a hardware store for essential supplies. The owner hadn't opened up yet, but his security systems were nothing to the pair of proven thieves, especially not as his locks were easily melted. Taking lengths of tough chain, Gambit left the money plus a good tip on the counter. Maybe they had broken in, but they weren't thieves anymore.

There was the sound of gunfire up ahead, a brave man tried to defend his property from the swooping mutant who fired back with guns in both hands. Blaze was shocked to see how different Archangel looked, his lips blue, eyes bloodshot and skin so pale the network of blood vessels underneath could almost be seen. The guns came from holsters strapped to each thigh, his glorious wings dull and lifeless. Had she looked this bad when she had been under mind control herself?

"I'll draw him away from the civilians." Blaze directed, "I'll try and get him to follow me down that alleyway. Climb up a fire escape and you should be able to drop onto him without him seeing you." Gambit didn't reply, knowing she was well capable of looking after herself he ran to take position.

"Hey Archangel!" Blaze shouted, gathering a fireball and preparing to throw it at Warren's back. "You're Momma was a pigeon! Come pick on someone less your own size!"

"Who dares interrupt the work of the Horseman of the Apocalypse? You shall pay dearly in the blood of your loved ones when Apocalypse comes!" Warren turned in the air and flew directly at Blaze, guns firing.

"Heck do I know how to pick 'em………" Blaze muttered, letting the fireball fly past, singeing Archangel's left wing to give her a bit of a head start as she ran for the alleyway. The morning light couldn't penetrate the enclosed space, the floor was littered with boxes and crates, barring Blaze's way and as Archangel closed down on her she wondered if she had made a mistake? What if Gambit was so mad at her he didn't come through? She'd given him a second chance at killing Warren if he wanted it……… She went to ground three-quarters of the way up the alley and waited for the Angel of Death to follow her.

Apocalypse's Horseman flew low to the ground, searching for the insect that had interrupted his work. She must be here somewhere……… There! Some movement behind a stack of crates! Just as he reached Blaze's hiding place, he felt a sudden heavy weight on his back as an X-Man dropped to wrap chains around Archangel's wings and arms. In a struggling mass the two men plunged to land hard on the floor. For a second the wind was knocked out of both of them, but that was time enough for Blaze to charge forward, grab the trailing ends of the chain and melt them together in a solid metal mass. Archangel roared his defiance as Blaze offered Gambit a hand up.

"There you go, Chere. One chained chicken. How you wanna get him back to the mansion? I'se only got my bike an it wont take t'ree………" He half expected her to announce she wasn't actually coming home, and Blaze knew it; she could see it in his eyes. She turned away, ashamed of the hurt she saw there she started back the way they had come.

"I've got a 4x4 outside town, will your bike tie to the back?"

"You mean it Petite?" He didn't ask about the bike, damn he'd leave it here in a second if it meant Blaze'd come home.

"Well it doesn't look like I'm ever going to get to live the nice, quiet, safe normal life I wanted. May as well try and do some good with what time I've got instead………" She didn't add the knowledge that she had maybe twelve to fifteen years to make the world a good place for mutants to live, until Jessica's mutant powers began to develop. Blaze had no hesitation in believing that Jess would one day be a mutant too. Gambit left Blaze to her thoughts, pulling Archangel to his feet as he struggled and screamed and tried to get away………


	3. 3

Disclaimer: I only own Blaze; Ilehana Xavier is used with express permission of Corrinth; I do not own and am making no profit from the X-Men characters or their world.  
  
A/N: Please read and review!  
  
L'ange de morte 3  
  
"Storm, Wolverine and Vixen all report their respective targets still moving along the tangents we hypothesised last week. The Horsemen do not spend much time at all in a single place, simply causing as much damage and panic as they can in a day before travelling at night. They do not sleep or eat, and pay little notice to our efforts to stop them."  
  
Cyclops listened dutifully to Professor Xavier as the older man updated their battle plan on the large briefing room screen, marking the latest positions of three of his precious X-Men, including his daughter Ilehana. Inwardly Scott Summers seethed at not being allowed to track one of the mysterious Horsemen of the Apocalypse himself, but the Professor need him here to help coordinate and record their different attacks. Cyclops' eyes fell on the last dot on the screen, the fourth dot for the fourth horseman and the fourth missing X-Man.  
  
"No word from Gambit yet?" Scott tried to keep his disapproval out of his voice, an effort wasted when talking to a powerful psychic.  
  
"No. And before you suggest it, no I will not use Cerebro to track Gambit down. He has shown enough distaste in the past for telepathic contact without me using my powers with no good reason." Xavier didn't give voice to his own fears that all might not be well with his X-Man, and spoke as much to himself as to Scott as he concluded. "Gambit needs this chance, Scott. Have a little trust in him."  
  
"Trust a thief?" Scott couldn't bite his tongue. He had nothing against Gambit personally, but he was hardly the most reliable member of the team.  
  
"Gambit's ears is burnin', t'ink you maybe talkin' about me Cyclops?" Remy stalked into the room, pushing a dejected Archangel in front of him still bound in heavy chains.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing Gambit? Who said you could bring that madman in here? Are you insane?" Cyclops started forward as Gambit pushed Archangel to knee on the floor.  
  
"I knows what my orders were, Cyclops. But I got new information..."  
  
"Maybe I'd better explain," A female voice rich with an English accent spoke from the door. "That man's under mind control, he doesn't know what he's doing. I was hoping the Professor could fix him?"  
  
"Blaze?" Cyclops' jaw dropped open, now he was really confused. The Professor however was the epitome of calm, driving his wheelchair forward so he could reach to touch Archangel's temples with the tips of his fingers.  
  
"I fear you are right, Blaze." He pulled away after only a second. "Scott, pass this information on to the other X-Men. Blaze, Gambit, take him through to my office where I can work in peace."  
  
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Archangel, l'ange de morte, struggled as if his life depended on it as Xavier approached where he was sitting. The chains still bound him tightly, the X-Men were taking no chances, and the fire mutant stood just behind Warren's shoulder, ready to stop the horseman if he tried to fight off the Professor. Blaze's face was a tumult of uncertain emotions, but she stood her ground, knowing duty came first.  
  
Outside the door Gambit waited for news, red-on-black eyes narrow and hard, the card he toyed with in his fingers ready to be used as a weapon if Worthington tried to leave in a sudden. He didn't like any of this one bit, especially Blaze's involvement with this guy, but he did trust the Professor. He leant back on the wall in the corridor, listening as the Professor moved forward to begin.  
  
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A while later, Xavier recoiled from Archangel's mind sweating and panting, expression of horror on his face. Archangel's shouts and threats got worse; he threatened them all with the might of Lord Apocalypse's wrath.  
  
"Please, Professor?" Blaze hated to beg, but she could somehow tell that Xavier was still holding back, trying to inch his way forward through the lies and deceit Apocalypse had polluted Warren's mind with. The desperation in her voice made Xavier's mind up for him. He punched straight through the mesh of Apocalypse's tendrils and for a brief moment felt like he was getting through to the real Warren Worthington. The winged mutant strained hard against the chains, trying to avoid Xavier's mind touch. Blaze came and put her hands on his shoulders to hold him still just as Xavier realised he was not going to win this telepathic battle. He pulled out as Apocalypse's power reached after him, trying to suck Xavier into his control.  
  
"Argh!" Archangel screamed, "What is happening to me? What... What have you done to me?" He stared around the room, unseeing, striving against the chains that bound him.  
  
"Release him, Blaze. I'm afraid I have done all I can..." Xavier was exhausted. Blaze looked from her mentor to her friend, fear making her not able to understand.  
  
"I... Where is Apocalypse?" Warren asked the room, eyes still clouded over and confused. "He will pay for what he has done to me! I will have my revenge!" He twisted in the chains and looked up at Blaze stood behind him. "I know you, I recognise your face. Won't you set me free? I will not harm you now. I must find Apocalypse. This is his fault; I've lost everything because of him. I will see him destroyed..."  
  
"Alright..." Blaze put a finger to a link of the chain, heating it until it dripped molten to the floor. Archangel stood; wings expanded and shook his head.  
  
"Thank you my friends." He looked from Blaze to Xavier, "But I must find..."  
  
"Apocalypse. Yeah I know." Blaze put her hands on her hips to stop them from shaking. This confused version of Warren was almost as bad as l'ange de morte. "But please, let us help you? You need to rest and..."  
  
"There is no time, he calls the Horsemen to him as we speak! I must make him pay!" And with that Warren launched himself into the air and flew straight through the glass of the window.  
  
"I'm sorry Blaze." The Professor spoke carefully. "But there was so much hatred and evil in that man's mind, I could not scour it all. He may come round, one day, to remember who he really is, but he will need time."  
  
"Okay." Blaze sighed, looking out the broken window after Warren. "I guess at least now he's not hurting innocent people..."  
  
"Are you alright?" Xavier asked quietly. Outside in the corridor Gambit pocketed the card he had been toying with and left. He didn't want to hear the conversation she was about to have with the Professor, he didn't need to know how much Worthington had meant to her or any of that crap.  
  
"Not really." Blaze shut her eyes to fight off tears, the sarcasm in her voice hiding her pain. "But at least I'm home now right? Huh, some welcome..."  
  
**Is your child well? ** Xavier asked gently telepathically in case anyone was listening. He was the only other one in the house who knew why Blaze had left months ago, a secret he had kept to himself despite the anxiety amongst the rest of the team at her sudden departure. He knew that was how Blaze wanted it keeping. **How old will he, she be now? **  
  
**She, ** Blaze allowed a small smile at the thought of her daughter. **Jessica Lauren. She's five months now. **  
  
**Jessica le Beau? ** Xavier pried.  
  
**So it says on her birth certificate. And no, I can't and won't tell him. He won't understand or forgive me. I can't be responsible for tying him down to a family he doesn't want. And Jessica is safe now, with a proper family... With a mother who's a lot less likely to get her killed...**  
  
**I think you are being too hard on yourself...**  
  
**No, I'm not. This isn't the first time I've acted like an X-Man first and thought about what it'd do to Jess second. I only ever wanted her to be safe, have a normal life without anyone trying to hurt her. But as I'm seemingly incapable of staying out of trouble and away from danger...**  
  
"Professor?" Scott entered without knocking. "We got a problem, the Horsemen have all disappeared, fast. No one knows where they went."  
  
"Disappeared?" Xavier threw his telepathic apologies to Blaze and noted her acceptance that duty called. Didn't it always? The Professor left, worrying about the safety of his own daughter.  
  
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She walked through the familiar gardens and grounds of the school with all her heart a million miles away, or however far it was from here to L.A. Maybe Xavier would never understand why she had done what she'd done, but it was her choice, and one she'd not made lightly. Stopping in the secluded gazebo, she leant her forehead against an upright, heart broken. Only then did she realise she wasn't alone as his soul-searching eyes burnt into the back of her neck.  
  
"Go for it, le Beau. Whatever you're thinking about; yelling at me, hitting me, whatever, just get it out of your damn system." There was no emotion in her voice, just a bone-deep weariness.  
  
"I'se thinkin' the energy better used beatin' the merde outta l'ange de morte for goin' loco an' breakin' your heart..." He didn't approach her, his voice as devoid of tone as hers.  
  
"Ha, as if." Blaze turned to lean backwards on the railing, looking up at her old friend. "Warren didn't break my heart, somebody else has already done it. And no, don't go getting ahead of yourself, it wasn't you either Rem."  
  
"You gonna tell me 'bout it?" He asked, the wind taken out of his sails a little.  
  
"No. So don't ask me to again." Let him think he had a bit of manly competition, it'd do him good. Jessica's dainty hand, coiling around her finger, brought sudden tears to her eyes. Blaze nearly collapsed, but found herself caught in strong arms that wrapped around her and felt so warm.  
  
"Chere..." Remy kissed the top of his friend's head gently. How could he be angry with her when she was hurting? "I missed you... nobody round here get Gambit's sense of humour."  
  
"Well you got to admit it is an acquired taste..." She pulled away from him and they smiled amicably, shyly at each other.  
  
"Welcome home Blaze." 


End file.
